A Life Apart
by Lady Bagheera
Summary: Sarah and Jareth have a daughter who has fallen in love. A forbidden affair and lots of angsty stuff.
1. Default Chapter

Sarah's face split into a huge grin as she read through the letter the goblin had just handed her. She turned to look at the…unusual servant and said, "Go get the King. Tell him that I need to see him." Bowing low, the young male goblin rushed to do his queen's bidding.

"I see you've gotten a letter from Kiana," said a smooth, amused voice from behind her.

Sarah could hear the smirk, plain as if she'd seen it. She whirled. "Can't you _ever_ come in like a regular person?"

The smirk got wider, and his expression turned haughty. "Regular, Sarah? Why should I aspire to be normal? I am a King, and a Fae one at that."

Sarah's laughter was rich as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. "You are far too conscious of those facts, you know," she teased.

Smiling, his blue and brown eyes sparkling, he purred, "I'm also gorgeous…would you like to see?" as he traced a gloved finger around her lips and down her throat to rest lightly at the point her low-cut bodice began.

Sarah shivered at the delicate caress, perhaps remembering all the times his touch had quickly grown into something with a life entirely of its own. She smiled up into his eyes, stepped backwards, and held out the letter with mock solemnity. "Why don't you read what your daughter has to say?"

One eyebrow raised, Jareth took the letter from her and quickly read it. His mildly curious expression turned into a smile, then a frown as he reached the end. He looked up at Sarah. "A boy? She's bringing a mortal boy _here_?"

Chuckling, she poked him in the stomach. "You'll recall that _I'm_ mortal, won't you? And that you had to bring me here since you couldn't very well reside above-ground?" She grinned at him. "Besides, you completely overlooked the most important part. She's coming home, Jareth. She said she'll be here by" Sarah calculated the difference in times between the two realms "tomorrow evening." She sighed. "It's been a year and a half since we've seen her."

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Jareth spoke quietly. "She needed to see the world, Sarah; you know that. She could never be effective in her position as my heir if she knew nothing of anywhere but here." He bent and kissed the top of her head then gently pushed her towards the chamber door. "Tomorrow evening will come very soon, and there are a million things I'm sure you are wanting to have ready for her." He grinned, knowing her propensity for laziness when she didn't _have_ to do something. "Perhaps you should begin, else it will all still be waiting when she gets here!"

Laughing, Sarah nodded. "You're right of course; you always are." She kissed him and sighed into his chest. "She's finally coming home."

_Pudgy little hands reaching up for her amidst folds of lavender lace; angelic little face with her daddy's eyes and her mamma's dark hair smiling up at her._

_Shrieks of laughter as Jareth chased a naked two year old around the bedchamber, trying to get her wrapped in a towel after her bath._

_A breathless ten year old rushing into her arms to tell her that she'd finally gotten the transportation spell right._

_A teenager crying in her lap because the boy she'd been interested in had told her he wouldn't see her because she was only a "half-breed". _

_A smiling young woman hugging Jareth before going by herself into the world that Sarah'd tried so hard to keep her out of._

Sarah's mind wandered as she baked Kiana's favorite pie. She saw all the precious moments of her daughter's life as though a movie reel was playing behind her eyes.

"If you knead that dough any longer, it will become very tough, will it not?" Jareth spoke quietly as he touched her shoulder.

Startled, Sarah dropped the dough onto the table and then turned to smile at her husband. "It will, yes. I probably should have had the cook prepare it anyway." She dusted the flour off her hands and wiped them on her apron.

"You should change into whatever you wish to be wearing when they get here, because it will shortly be time to meet this beau of hers."

Startled anew, Sarah peered at the clock hanging above the arched doorway. "Gracious! I hadn't realized it had gotten so late while I was in here reminiscing." She hurriedly hung the apron on a hook beside the oven and rushed out to put on a decent set of clothing.

Grinning, Jareth pulled an apple out of the prepared pie filling and ate it while he finished putting everything together.

Sarah watched Jareth. Dressed in his most imposing formal outfit he was stunning as well as frightening. His blonde hair, wild at the best of times, seemed to form a lion's mane around his face. He had put some sort of coloring on his eyes and cheekbones to make them more angular and the dark blue, high-collared cloak seemed to swirl around him like a living thing. The tight breeches emphasized the power in his seemingly slight frame, and the white, lace-up shirt clung to his muscular chest.

Stepping closer to him, Sarah teasingly trailed a hand down his back to trace in little circles over the sensitive skin on his lower back. She stood on tip-toes and breathed into his ear "Don't scare the poor boy _too _much darling, it would upset your daughter."

Jareth, never taking his eyes from the place he knew they'd be appearing in, growled low in his throat and reached out to pull Sarah roughly against his hard, aroused frame. In a dark green, flowing gown with _very_ low bodice and embroidered silver accents, her hair away from her face but flowing in gentle curls down her back, she looked fully as impressive as he did. She looked like the queen she was. "Tonight," he said, very quietly, "I will repay your teasing a hundred-fold." He grinned briefly as she breathed in deeply and a becoming flush crept up from her chest. His grin widened as he glanced lower and saw that her nipples had tightened in anticipation.

Suddenly his attention was riveted in front of them, and though he kept hold of her, she knew that he had momentarily forgotten about her. She smiled to herself and turned to greet their daughter…

And held onto Jareth for all she was worth as she saw the young man standing beside Kiana. She looked up at Jareth for confirmation of something she couldn't be _sure_ of. When he nodded, tears slipped down her face and she whispered, "Toby."


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm sorry to not have updated sooner. Truthfully, I forgot about it. I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and I promise to update more often from now on._

"But Daddy, I don't understand." Kiana was taking this remarkably well; there wasn't even a trace of whine in her voice.

Jareth sighed. "Your mother had a life before this one, you know. It happened to include the young man she's currently in tears over."

Kiana peered at her father, looking for the sympathetic man she'd grown up with. All she could see was the worried husband. "I understand _that_," she said a little impatiently. "What I don't understand is how come you two didn't tell me."

Jareth momentarily closed his eyes. This was the last thing he'd anticipated doing when he met his daughter's first boyfriend. "I think your mother should be here for this telling, it is her tale after all." He took her hand and transported them both to the kitchen where the other two had been talking.

Sarah looked up from red-rimmed eyes and visibly quailed when she saw the look in her husband's eyes. Nodding, she held out her hand to him and pulled him near. She wrapped an arm around his waist, and began talking softly.

"Toby," she nodded to the young man who was a stranger to her now, "I don't know how much of this you remember, so I'll start from the beginning." She sighed. "Kiana, I hope you'll understand why I never told you about it by the time I'm finished." Taking a deep breath, she looked at Jareth, and finding the reassurance she so needed, she continued.

"When I was a teenager, my step-mother always made me watch my little brother. One night, when I couldn't make him stop crying, I called on Jareth; thinking him nothing more than a character from the play I was performing that summer. " She grinned humorlessly. "Needless to say: he wasn't. He took Toby to the castle, just like I'd asked him to, and offered me a crystal in return for the child." Her eyes closed, and she tightened her grip on Jareth as she remembered the imposing king who'd stood in her window and held out a beautiful bauble in return for her little brother. "When I refused, and asked for Toby back, he told me I could have my brother if I solved the Labyrinth in thirteen hours. Only because I had help from my friends, whom you've met, Kiana, did I manage to do as he'd ordered. But when I had fought my way to the castle, he offered me this life" she waved her hand to encompass all that she now had "if I'd forget about Toby." She remembered how horribly tempting it had been, how seductive _he'd_ been. "I refused again, and he returned us to the house he'd taken us from."

Jareth pulled out a chair and sat beside his wife. "Now Sarah," he said, a trace of his normal teasing in his voice, "You came willingly. It's not fair to say I took you. I only took him."

Turning to look at him for the first time, Toby blanched. "I remember! I had dreams about you for a long time afterward." He looked at Sarah. "I thought it was just a fantasy."

This time Kiana spoke. "If mom refused this life so she could save Toby, then how did you two end up together?"

Jareth smiled and gently caressed Sarah's cheek. "When your mother was a little older, she realized what I'd actually offered her." He looked at Toby. "She too, thought it was a dream. One day she called to me, thinking she was foolish up until I appeared in her window again." He grinned. "I believe she almost fainted, though from attraction or surprise, I couldn't tell you."

Sarah playfully smacked his thigh. "You'll never know either." She stood, and walked over to where her little brother was sitting. "I'm sorry, but when I returned as his wife, I couldn't go see you. I didn't want you to grow up believing in something no one else believed in. It would have been horrible for you."

Quietly, he replied, "It was horrible anyway."

Suddenly, he looked up at them, hope suffusing his face. "Can I stay here? Like Sarah did?"

Sarah looked pleadingly up at Jareth, who was suddenly every inch the king.

He nodded briefly. "You could. You would have to take an oath swearing allegiance to me, and you must realize you could never be with Kiana." There was no doubt in anyone's mind what he meant by "be with".

Kiana's eyes flashed red, and she rounded on her father. "Why not!" she demanded. "You brought mom, and you two lived happily ever after."

Sarah placed a calming hand on the back of Jareth's neck. "Kiana, has it not occurred to you that he is your uncle?"

From the look on her face, it was abundantly apparent that it had not.

"I'm sorry, Kiana, truly. I'm sorry that you had to find out this way. You must understand that it defies statistics that you ever met him in the first place."

Tears shining in her eyes, Kiana looked from her mother to her father. She spoke quietly, and aimed at their hearts. "I can't believe that you two of all people would hide this from me. And I can't believe that you're telling me that I can't be with the _only_ man I've ever met who took me for who I am…no questions asked." She calmly walked over to Toby and offered him her hand.

Looking up at her with regret more than plain in his eyes, Toby shook his head. "I'm sorry Kiana. They're right, and I can't go with you."

With an angry exclamation, she transported out of the castle and away from them all.


	3. Chapter 3

Kiana sat on the wall over-looking the bog. She felt foolish for transporting out so quickly, but she didn't want to go back to them just yet. She cried – for the many long nights she'd spent praying that she'd find someone who'd love her, for the fae who never even looked twice even though she was the princess, and for Toby, who'd been the answer to all those earlier prayers. She railed at the injustice of it all, and cursed her parents for the whole underground to hear, that they never told her about it all.

Finally she just sat. She turned her mind inward and attempted to arm herself for the fact that she'd be forced to look at Toby for the rest of her life, and wouldn't be able to touch him.

Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω

"Kiana!" Hand reaching blindly for the girl who was no longer there, Sarah cried her name.

"Sarah?" Jareth knelt in front of her chair and held her gaze with his. "She's sitting on the retaining wall that overlooks the bog. She's fine." He smiled at her, something of the wicked humor she was so used to in his eyes. "For now, why don't you let her sulk, and spend some time with the young man you haven't seen in twenty years.

Sarah gasped, having forgotten that Toby was right in front of her. She focused on her little brother; the one who wasn't so little anymore, and smiled a tremulous smile. "I am so glad you're here."

Toby rose from his chair and glared at the pair. "Well I'm not. You left me and never came back. You never even…he looked for an adequate adjective…'poofed' a note so I would know you were ok. I was _five_ Sarah. I've spent the last twenty years trying to convince myself that neither of you existed." Tears formed in his eyes. "Because if you had, if you had loved me like I remember you telling me you did, you never would have left.

He angrily wiped the tears from his eyes. "And now, when I had finally made a life for myself, and found a girl I wanted to be with, you're telling me that she's my _neice_! I don't have a sister!" Pacing the floor he suddenly got very quiet. "I may not be able to go anywhere in the kingdom in the blink of an eye, but I can leave by more normal means."

He, very calmly, walked out the doorway.

Looking at Jareth, Sarah's face began to crumple when she saw his face go immobile in the hardest, most furious expression she'd ever seen. "What is it?"

In a deadly voice, he spoke. "Kiana has been taken from her perch. She is now blocked from me, and that is something only a powerful fae could accomplish." He turned to leave, and said over his shoulder "It seems that someone has decided to declare war on the goblin kingdom and its leader."


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to update, I was having trouble figuring out where to go from where I left off. So for those of you who've been waiting for me, I'm sorry, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter. _

_For you who review…you're wonderful people. Feel free to continue, it's a great help and encouragement._

_As always, the disclaimer applies._

Jareth fumed. Who would _Dare_ to do such a thing? They will find that the generally even-tempered king they have dealt with will make no appearance when their names are revealed.

He stalked the hallways of the castle, frightening his servants with his wild eyes and mask of fury.

"Jareth?" A soft voice came from behind him. Tentative and cautious.

He turned with a low growl, intending to berate he who dared to disturb his thoughts.

When he saw Sarah's drawn, white face, he immediately quieted his momentary murderous impulse. She looked exhausted, and he knew she hadn't slept any more than he. "What is it, my love?"

She spoke in a whisper, as if afraid of him. "Toby has come back, and he thinks there's a way to find Kina."

At the mention of the boy, Jareth's face went cold again. "Sarah, I realize he's your brother, but I am not feeling particularly fond of him at this moment."

She just nodded and looked at the floor. "I understand why you would feel like that, but it is no more his fault that she was taken than it was hers. And I think his idea may actually work."

He snorted. "I have tried everything I could think of, and nothing has brought her back into my mind so I could locate her. What makes you think a magicless mortal can do what I failed to accomplish?"

Eyes blazing, she spoke calmly, but with steel behind her every word. "Just because he has no magic does not mean that he is incapable of thinking. If you do not listen to him, you may well be dooming our daughter! He has come up with a solution when we could not, and there is no merit in ignoring it just because you're pissed off!"

Watching him standing there, eyes lost behind the anger, and face just as drawn as hers made her go to him and wrap her arms around him. "Jareth," she whispered. "I'm afraid for her too, you know."

Sighing, he pulled her close to him and buried his face in her hair. "I know, Sarah." After a moment, he held her at arms length and peered into her eyes. "Do you truly think this idea of his has merit?"

Shrugging helplessly, Sarah nodded. "I really do. Why don't you come judge for yourself?"

"So, what do you think?" Toby looked tired, but hopeful.

Jareth pondered. He looked up at Toby after an interminable amount of time and asked very softly. "You really do love her, don't you?"

He just nodded silently, his misery flooding out of every pore.

Sarah peered at her husband, recognizing the look that was rapidly dawning on his face. "You've thought of something."

"Indeed." He drawled. "I may be able to take parts of his plan and mix them with a little magic, to get the desired result." He spoke clinically, as if speaking of an interesting experiment.

He rose, and offered a hand to his wife. "You will need to be with me."

Looking eager, she nodded. "I would have gone even if it wasn't necessary."

For a moment, he looked like his old self. He gave a sardonic grin. "I know."

Sarah came running into the kitchen where Toby was waiting. She was breathless and looked frightened but triumphant. "We found her, Toby. It worked!"

Right on her heels was Jareth, his face once again that mask of fury. "She is in great danger right now, and though I would have liked to taken time to figure out who has done this, I must go to her." He put out his hand to stop Sarah from rising. "No." He said shortly. "You may not accompany me." His face softened just slightly. "I will bring her back, Sarah."

With a flick of his wrist, he was gone, leaving a terrified Sarah and Toby to wait for his eventual return.

_Ok, so I realize that was short, and I'm truly sorry. But I promise great things ahead._


	5. Chapter 5

_**For those of you who know me, some of the reactions Sarah has to her husband will be amusing. I hope you enjoy this new chapter…and thank Lupo Pazzesco for making me put it up so quickly.**_

_**As always, the disclaimer stands.**_

He stared broodingly out into the pouring rain. Absently, he realized that it wasn't supposed to rain in the Underground…but he didn't really care to discover the change in weather. He could see his face mirrored in the glass, and knew that he should be asleep. Instead of sleep, his mind kept conjuring the vision of her hair floating on the surface of the pond, and her colorless face staring toward the sun.

"Sire?" His aid called quietly from the outer chamber.

"Yes?" He didn't look away from the rain, but managed to sound politely interested.

"She's awake, and asking for you."

Jareth turned sharply, his face a mask of mixed pain, grief, and anger. "You may go now, I will go to her presently." He turned back to the window long enough to compose himself, then walked swiftly from the room, cloak flying behind him.

Sarah raised her head from the bedcovers as he walked into the room. "No," she corrected herself, "he is stalking. Fully as quiet and dangerous as a hunting cat." She was minutely relieved to find that, though his face had the expected anger, it wasn't directed toward the one lying on the bed. Instead, it seemed directed mostly inward…as if he was fighting a battle with himself, or holding something in that he should be letting go. She resolved to corner him later, and call out the storm.

Jareth's eyes lit on the bed, and didn't waver. He reached out a tentative hand and brushed a strand of dark hair from a very pale forehead.

"Daddy?" She whispered. She coughed, and Jareth's face tightened. Sarah thought it looked almost…breakable.

He gingerly sat on the edge of her bed and brushed light fingertips across her face. "I am here, Kiana." Suddenly, he grinned, amused at something. "You have not called me that since you were very small."

Smiling somewhat painfully, she reached out and took his hand. "I know." Her face clouded for a moment, then she looked up into her father's mismatched, oh-so-concerned eyes and started to cry. "Daddy, I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

A single tear fell from a rigidly controlled face, and he gently raised her so he was holding her face against his chest. "No, it is not. It is the fault of whoever took you."

Looking up, she hitched a breath. "But it _is_! I was so angry at you two, and I went with him when he came for me." Her face went whiter than it already was. "Daddy, he…he…" She broke down, and fury filled Jareth as he understood what she was trying to tell him. "And then he tried to kill me." She spoke very softly, as if she couldn't believe it.

For the first time since Jareth had walked into the room, Sarah spoke. "Honey, who? Who was it?"

As Jareth turned his head to watch his wife speak, he could see the lines of strain around her eyes, and the evidence that she was barely holding onto her composure. He shot her a look that promised a long conversation when they were through here.

Kiana's eyes widened a trifle and her grip on Jareth tightened. She looked from her mother to her father and whispered, "It was Lord Dakarai." She started to cry again. "I thought you had sent him, Daddy, and I was ready to come back, so I followed him."

Voice deceptively gentle, Jareth peered into her eyes and asked "Kiana, why did you allow him to block your magic?"

Frowning, Kiana spoke without thinking. "He didn't."

Eyebrow raised in classic Jareth expression, he said. "He did. Why do you think you were so near death before I came for you? Had your magic been intact, I would have known the moment you came into danger."

"Oh Daddy, I didn't know."

She furrowed her eyebrows, and he knew she was thinking awfully hard about something. He touched the place the wrinkles formed and smiled at her. "You'll give yourself wrinkles."

She grinned briefly, then got serious again. "Daddy, he offered me his cloak because it was really cold on top of the wall." She looked disturbed. "But I should have known if it had a spell on it, you taught me." She looked pleadingly into his eyes. "You have to believe me, it didn't feel like anything other than a piece of cloth!"

He shushed her, pulling her back against his chest and petting her hair. After a time, he gently laid her back on the bed. "You should rest. This room is shielded so that only your mother's or my magic may go through." He kissed her forehead. "Sleep now, Kiana."

Slipping into sleep, Kiana whispered, "Daddy, are you gonna take care of the bad man for me?"

Calm façade crumbling, voice choked with unshed tears and fiercer than Sarah'd ever heard it, he said, "Yes, Kiana, I will take care of the bad man."

She mumbled something that sounded like a happy "thank you" and fell asleep.

"Jareth!" Sarah called from a few steps behind him. "We need to talk."

Spinning on his heels to face her, he had intended to snap some biting comment. But looking at her drawn face and the concerned expression on her face, he just couldn't.

Instead, he walked toward her, eyes burning, gathered her into his arms, and teleported to their bedchamber.

He kissed her fiercely, all the pain, grief, and anger just bubbling out of him. His hands ran up her body, briefly resting on her hips, then the swell of her breasts before continuing up to tangle in her hair, pulling her face even closer to his. Breaking the kiss, he buried his face in her neck. "We can speak later." His tone said he would brook no argument. Right this moment he needed to immerse himself in every part of her far more than he needed to talk.

Later, they lay in bed and talked.

"Jareth," Sarah said quietly, hesitantly. "It wasn't your fault."

For a moment, it seemed he would be furious, but then his face showed what she'd felt in his love-making and he finally let go of the tears that he'd been hiding for the better part of a week.

"Sarah, he…" He couldn't bring himself to speak the word. "did what he did to her, and I couldn't even _sense_ it, let alone save her!" A roar of rage-filled pain rocked the castle as he gave vent to it. "I couldn't protect _my own daughter_ within MY kingdom."

Sarah held him close and spoke the words she knew he needed to hear. "No, you couldn't."

Shocked eyes met hers, and she continued. "One of your trusted advisors hurt her very badly, and if you'd been paying attention, it would not have happened." Her voice was iron.

"But she was blocked. I could find nothing that would find her again. I am the one that brought her back so she could be healed." His voice was plaintive, the only time she'd ever heard anything like it.

Sighing, she kissed him softly and rested her forehead against the upper swell of his chest. "I know that, Jareth. You would not see it though, until I accused you of what you were already beating yourself up for."

She shifted so that he was cradling her in his arms. "Now what are you going to do about Lord Dakarai?"

She felt his body stiffen at the mention of the name, and his voice when he spoke was once again filled with fury. This time though, it was cold and somehow pleased. "We will see how he likes being violated and stripped of his magic. Then perhaps his punishment will begin."

Sarah shivered at the amount of implied violence, but allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. Now they knew who had done this, and she knew without a doubt that Jareth would make him regret every second of pleasure he'd taken from their daughter's unwilling flesh, and then would make him regret his very existence.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Authors note: I sincerely apologize to those of you who keep up on this story for my lack of updating. But never fear, my inspiration has returned and this time it won't be nearly so long between chapters. I also apologize for the length of this chapter. I thoughtyou might appreciate a relatively quick update more than a lenghty chapter.If I was wrong, feel free to enlighten me.**_

_**As always, the disclaimer applies.**_

Terror lanced, like a knife of ice, through Lord Dakarai's heart when he saw the guards at the door of the council chamber. He spared a thought for the girl, and smiled to himself. "The mewling little brat is dead; I am safe from Jareth…but he will not be safe from me for long." He allowed himself an expression of smug accomplishment, a fitting way for a fae nobleman to look, and walked calmly past the guards into the room.

His calm didn't last beyond the door slamming shut behind him. He turned at the sound to find four times as many guards as there should be. With an icy certainty, he knew he'd been caught. As his heart slowed he knew what he had to do.

Dakarai's laugh was the only warning Jareth had. But then, it was the only warning he needed.

Confusion flared in Dakarai's eyes as his Levin bolt fizzled and died. Not only was Jareth completely unharmed…he was smiling! That cold, oh-so-confident smile he was so fond of.

The clipped accent came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. "You have been found guilty of high treason, rape," Jareth almost choked on the word, but managed to keep it from being noticeable. "using magic against two members of the reigning family, and attempting to kill one of them." The magic died and it was just Jareth who spoke the next words. "It is my pleasure to be able to mete out your punishment myself. You will be punished for ALL your crimes before being executed for high treason."

"Bu…but that's…"

"What? Unheard of? Cruel?" Jareth's voice was quiet and very dangerous as he stalked over to the other man. At his nod, four of the guards came over; two grabbing each arm. "As King, your punishment is entirely up to my discretion. As King, I have no need to be fair. And as a _father_ I have much need to cause you a great deal of pain." He looked deeply into the condemned man's eyes and smiled. A cold, cruel, but somehow…satisfied smile. "You underestimated her, Dakarai, and you underestimated me." He almost purred, his whole body dripping menace and barely contained fury. "Now you will pay for both of those mistakes.

The guards carried Dakarai out of the room…too stunned to even scream.

"Jareth?"

"Dad?"

He smiled softly to himself. So, she was feeling normal again; good. He would need her strength before this was all over. "Yes?"

Stepping forward, Sarah looked up into her husband's eyes; defiance written in every line of her body. "We want to be there when you carry out his sentence."

Quirking an eyebrow at his gentle, forgiving wife, his words betrayed a hint of amusement. "Both of you?"

Two calm nods met his question. Kiana spoke up. "He marked me for eternity, and I will mark him for the brief moments I am allowed before he dies."

Searching Sarah's eyes, Jareth found no little bloodlust, and complete agreement with their daughter's assertion. "Good then. I have not quite decided what to do to him," he grinned at them both "and perhaps you two would enjoy helping me?"

He laughed out loud at the flair of eagerness that infused both of their faces; these women he was so proud of.

All that was left was a bloody mess. Ravaged by his punishments, he was conscious nonetheless. Very careful spells made sure that he was awake and aware of every nuance of the torture he'd been enduring. Sighing, Jareth mused that Dakarai hadn't held up as well as he'd hoped. The man had gone quite insane after only the first few days; disappointing really. Of course he, being King, had the ability to restore sanity; and he had used it over and over again in the last months. It had been such a pleasure to watch the previous Lord's face (the only part Jareth refused to mark…he cherished the varied expressions of pain on that deceitful face) as Kiana had walked in to administer some very…personal punishment. She had brought such imaginative and lovely toys with her! Sarah had been a quiet presence throughout; watching but never saying anything. At the end of every seemingly-endless night, she would cling to him until they got to their chambers, and then she would make feverish love to him.

He turned to regard the…thing hanging on the wall. More like a piece of abstract art that anything approaching human, what was left of Lord Dakarai would make a fine example to any would-be dissenters. "You die at dawn; you will burn. Know that each one of my subjects has been commanded to attend. I dare say your final moments will make quite an impression."

Turning to go, he suddenly laughed; a sound full of cruel amusement. The sound echoed throughout the castle, scaring everything that could hear it. Dakarai, soon to be ex-fae, had thanked the Goblin King for death.


	7. Chapter 7

**I hope you all enjoy this new chapter, I'm attempting to go into some of "how" Jareth and Sarah ended up together, along with continuing the Toby/Kiana plot line. For those of you who review regularly, thank you! Your input is my inspiration. For those of you who read and don't review...shame on you.**

**As always, the disclaimer applies. I own nothing pertaining to the Labyrinth; it is sole property of Jim Henson and George Lucas. I do, however, own my own characters, and you need permission to play with them.**

_Dancing and laughter, staring into mismatched eyes. A promise of forever from a man who would be able to keep that promise, from a fae king that had fallen in love with her when she was only fifteen; and had kept that love alive for the next six years until she was old enough to call him back._

_"I wish the Goblin King would come and take me away, right now." Sarah was well aware of the fact that it hadn't all been a dream, no matter what she'd told Toby. At twenty-one, she had found that no human could ever compare to Jareth...no mortal could give her love like she'd seen in his eyes. She sighed unhappily, she just hadn't realized what he'd been offering her, but now she was prepared to make up for it; if he'd let her, that was._

_"You do realize that this time there is no recourse, you must return to the underground with me." The voice was cold, just like she remembered._

_Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him; not at all surprised to see him in the same, beautiful cloak he'd been wearing the first time. "I know that. I want to return with you."_

_His eyes narrowed, suspicion warring with a fragile hope apparent on his face. "Why Sarah? Why did you call me now, after all this time?" He stalked toward her, stopping mere inches from touching her._

_She looked fearlessly into his eyes, and spoke softly but with all the conviction she could muster. "Because I love you. Or rather," she amended, "I could love you. I don't know the real you, only the one you showed me, but I desperately want to know the real you."_

_His smile was sardonic as he held out a gloved hand to his Sarah. "Then come, Sarah; come to see the reality of the underground, and the reality of her king."_

_Thus a timeless romance had begun, ending in their marriage and their daughter._

"Mama?" Kiana's soft inquiry broke into Sarah's rememberances.

Turning, she gazed at her daughter; the bright, energetic Kiana was back...her recuperation hadn't taken long. She reached out to gently caress her daughter's face. "What is it, bright one?"

"Mama, where is Toby?" At the look on her mother's face, she hastened to continue. "I realized today that I hadn't seen him since before we began punishing Dakarai, and I don't think he could have hidden in the castle without me seeing him some time. Mama, where did he go?"

Sighing with shared sorrow for her poor daughter who was in love with an unreachable man, Sarah ushered Kiana to the nearest set of chairs and sat down. "Your father sent him back aboveground, Kiana." This time, it was her turn to hasten as she forstalled her daughter's outrage. "He asked to be sent. He sat with you the entire time you were laying in bed; in fact, he was instrumental in saving you. But he realized that he didn't want to stay here without being able to have you."

Tentatively, Kiana reached a hand toward her mother. "Mama, I think I know a way, but it would require Dad's cooperation, and I would first have to talk to Toby." She grimaced. "I know this is all very strange, and would seem to be a hopeless situation...but we love each other so much. I wasn't raised knowing him as my uncle, and he didn't even know you were still alive, let alone that you'd had a daughter." She looked pleadingly into Sarah's eyes. "I can fix it, Mama; just let me try!"

Peering at her daughter, Sarah suddenly stood and spoke her husband's name.

"You rang?" His usual sardonic grin graced his face.

Hugging him for a moment, she breathed in the scent of him; spice and magic, and pure maleness. She imagined what it would be like never being able to touch him, hold him, make love to him. "Where did you take Toby, love? Kiana thinks she has a solution, and I think we should give them a chance."

He looked from his wife to his daughter and back again; trying to figure out what had come over them. "I took him home. To the place he said you and he had shared, Kiana. That is where he wished to be."

Smiling, Kiana wrapped her arms around Jareth. "Oh thank you Daddy. I'll be back soon, and I will need your help to see this through if he agrees."

"See what through, bright one?" But she was gone before he'd had the chance to finish his question. He sighed, a long-suffering sound that made his wife laugh.

"We will know soon enough, Jareth." She stepped up to him and kissed him teasingly while gently running her fingernails down his back. "We can keep ourselves occupied readily enough, don't you think?"

Growling softly, he pulled her to him and they disappeared, only to reappear in their private chambers...quite ready to keep themselves occupied.


	8. Chapter 8

"Why did you leave?"

The soft voice caught Toby unaware but he knew who's it was before he spun to face her. "Because I had no choice. We cannot be with each other, Kiana...being your uncle," he nearly spat the word, "makes it not only immoral, but illegal as well."

"Sit, Toby, there are some things I should tell you." She spoke quietly, nothing betraying the hope she had for this night.

As he sat, she placed herself by the picture window, prefering to stare out at the night sky than look at him; perhaps a pattern from her father, as he had the same habbit. "First: You and I may be related by blood, but there is nothing immoral about falling in love with someone whom you were unaware was a family member." She glanced at him briefly, long enough for him to see the pain and contempt in her eyes. "My mother and father should have told me, and should have kept you in the loop; but they didn't, and there isn't a damned thing we can do about it now. Second: while there are rules here that prevent blood family under a certain age of marrying, there is no such law in my world." She grinned humorlessly. "Fae don't reproduce much without the help of a mortal, and most of them think mortals should be likened to cattle and never touched more than necessary. Therefore, anyone can marry anyone, regardless of familial ties, except for brother and sister, or child to parent." She held up a hand to forestall the protest she just knew was coming. "One more thing, Toby. My father is adept at the greater magiks, more than most. There is a spell that will change your body into anything you'd ever desire...and take away the genetic markers that make you my uncle, while still leaving your mind and soul exactly as it is." She turned and stepped over to him, kneeling in front of the chair he had sunk down into at the beginning of her speech. As she looked up into his eyes, she plead with him. "I love you, Toby, and no matter how impossible it seems, I want to be with you. I have Father's permission and cooperation with the spell, all I need now is your agreement." She fell silent, afraid to so much as touch him. Afraid of the look in his eyes.

He sat, outwardly calm, for ten minutes before saying anything or moving. When he finally did move, he took her hand in his. "Kiana, I don't think I can do that. It might be perfectly normal and legal in your world; but I was raised in this one, and it's neither normal nor legal here." He watched the hope in her eyes die as she rose to leave. "I am sorry."

She merely inclined her head, unconsciously mimiking one of her father's favorite poses. Her voice, now cold and remote, seemed to come from some other place as she spoke. "You needn't apologize to me for being mortal and uncomprehending. There is no more between us than a master to his favorite pet." The words burned in her throat, but she was determined to make this hurt...and she easily took from the book her father used continuously to make it as bad as she could. Petty, but she couldn't help it. She sneered. "I merely didn't want to lose you so soon, as you provide me with endless...amusement." With that she left, in the middle of a miniature whirlwind of wind and magic.

"So he did not accept?" The soft, accented voice spoke from right behind her.

Sarah turned, a small smile for the familiar tease on her lips. "No, he did not. She, in her anger, borrowed a page from your book and decided to leave him with a cruel impression of her."

He grimaced, remembering how it had hurt him to play the cruel king for Sarah, wishing his daughter had had better luck in her life. "I gather it sits no better with her than it does with me?"

Shaking her head mutely, she stared down the corridor their daughter had recently run down.

He sighed. Conversations like this were supposed to be the mother's perview, not his. "I will speak with her, love. We will see what can be salvaged of the situation."

Hugging him tight for a brief moment, she stared up into her husband's eyes. "Thank you Jareth." The grin she gave was mischevious. "Perhaps when you are finished, you'd like to come join me in the bedchamber?" Placing a hand against her forhead theatrically, she sagged a little on her feet. "I am just so exhausted from these last weeks, I think I need to lie down and rest for awhile."

Bending his head, he whispered against her ear. "Wicked woman, there will be no rest for you."

At the feeling of his breath against her skin, she shivered in anticipation. "Then we agree."

Throwing his head back, long mane of hair brushing past his shoulders, he laughed; the joyous sound echoing throughout the castle.


	9. Chapter 9

"Kiana?" Jareth cautiously poked his head through his daughter's doorway; knowing that, like him, she was likely to throw something at him rather than speak to him.

"What, Father?" Her voice was dull and lifeless. She would not even turn her face to look at him. "I don't really feel much like talking right now."

Sighing to himself, he moved to sit on the edge of her bed. "Bright one, I know how you feel. I am so sorry that it came down to this."

She spun to face him, a snarl turning her normally pretty face into something ugly. "How? How would you know, and how could you do this to me in the first place?"

With his customary smirk in place, Jareth waved slightly to encompass her room and the entire castle. "Do you think you sprang from a cabbage patch? Do you think I attained this kingdom without suffering some?" He sighed and got serious. "Kiana, you know the story of me and your mother. You've heard how she refused me, how she kept me waiting for six years before she called me back." He smiled softly and reached out to caress her hair. "Do you honestly believe that her brother would be any different? Bright one, love is worth the pain and the tears, and worth the wait."

Expecting her to rage against him, he braced himself for the impact, but she surprised him. Instead of flying at him, she crumpled. Looking up at him through overflowing eyes, she spoke softly. "I know Dad. But I'm afraid that he won't ever call me back."

Hating the words he had to speak, he took his daughter's hands in his and looked straight into her eyes. "He may not, Kiana. You have to live your life and wait for him. It's a hard thing you're asking him to do; giving up his identity, his life aboveground, and his belief structure all at once. You have to give him time."

He stood and raised her with him. Stepping back, he looked her over. "Now, this is no way for the princess and heir of the most powerful kingdom in the Underground to appear." He waved a gloved hand over her face, and the red puffiness from her bout of tears disappeared. He gave a small, pleased smile. "There, that is so much better."

Still looking bleak, but not like she'd been crying, she looked up at him; at the father who'd always been gentle with her, drying tears, kissing skinned knees. "What do I do now?"

He smiled at her. "Now, you do what you were born to do. You learn how to deal with the goblins and the other nobility. You train to take my place when I decide to retire." He peered at her for a moment and said, half-jokingly, "Unless, of course, you've decided you do not want the position and would rather remain aboveground."

Showing some of her usual sense of humor, she grimaced and stuck her tongue out at him. "As if."

Jareth laughed. Hearing himself, he reflected that he laughed a lot since his wife and daughter had entered into the picture.


	10. apology

_I apologize for those of you who are wishing I'd finish this story. I promise I'm working on it. I'm having a bit of trouble finding my muse, but it's almost done and you won't have to wait long. Thank you all for being patient with me, and I appreciate all of you._

_Fester's Love_


	11. once again, please

Kiana sat, blissfully alone for the first time in what felt like days, in her bedchamber. She had stripped off all trappings of her new rank, still slightly uncomfortable in the position of "Kiana, Queen of the Goblins". They were stubborn, small-minded creatures; and her job was often more frustrating than anything else. Fortunately, one of her lessons had been in controlling her facial and voice expressions.

Sinking into her favorite chair, she found herself reflecting on the past five years. She'd had so many demands on her time; from lessons in everything from diplomacy to magic, to weapons work…namely learning how to kill.

With a small sigh, she admitted to herself that at least it all kept her mind from dwelling on Toby. Now though, she had time. She was miserable, and she had talked to her father many times trying to emulate him and how he'd ruled without Sarah by his side. Unfortunately, it didn't much work for her; and she was too much her father's daughter to find temporary solace in the arms of anyone. Perhaps it was time to force the issue.

A small elemental that was in her rooms was briefly startled to see the powerful one simply cease to exist in the chair where she'd last been.

Jareth grinned mercilessly at his daughter's brief blush. "You well know that if you pop into our chambers uninvited and unannounced, you're likely to see something that will embarrass you." He spoke as he wrapped a sumptuous robe of deep purple velvet around his previously naked body.

Smiling softly, Sarah spoke up. "You'd think you had learned that particular lesson years ago, Kiana."

Laughing, she agreed. "Yes, but I suppose I'm a glutton for punishment. Besides," she peered at her father, "I never understood how you can not be embarrassed."

"Easy." He drawled, voice full of his customary arrogance. "I have nothing to be embarrassed about." He lifted an eyebrow and grinned. "Now, what brings you here, bright one?"

"Father, I've spent all this time preparing to take your place, and now I've taken it. I have all the responsibilities that you bore, except one. Why haven't you given me the calls yet?"

Jareth looked closely at his daughter. "I do not think you are quite ready for that. It takes a ruthlessness paired with a certain caring that is very hard to manage. Also, you must learn to distinguish that which is an imperative vs. that which is nothing more than an adult who wishes to test the validity of the call. It takes some time, Kiana."

Frustrated, she tried to put her feelings into words he would understand. "I know that, Father…but how do you expect me to learn if you never give me the chance?" She sighed. "Father, you know as well as I do that I've been waiting for him to call me…as of right now, I wouldn't be able to hear even if he did."

"And that, also, is part of the reason." He stepped closer to her and took her hands in his. "Kiana, I don't want you to be hurt."

Squeezing slightly, she nodded. "I know that. But you can't protect me forever, Father."

He pulled his daughter, who'd grown up without his noticing it, into his arms for a brief embrace. "You're right, of course. Open your shields, Kiana, and I will give you the calls."

Closing her eyes, Kiana did as she was bade. In mere moments, she felt the press of the mortals; and knew that he'd done as she'd asked. "Thank you, Father." She said, when she opened her eyes again.

She lounged on her throne. She had long ago perfected the easy way of sitting the throne that prevented back problems, while still appearing to pay attention to the petitions always coming before her. Jareth had taught her well. She had spent the better part of six months getting used to the ever-present hum of human activity in her head, and was finally able to function properly despite the distraction.

Today, she sat before a roomful of goblins, taking up some of her father's duties to give him more time with her mother. She smiled slightly at the thought. They were so cute together, and they finally got to spend more than a couple of hours a day together.

Her attention minimal, since the goblins didn't require much, she almost missed the quiet, familiar voice that suddenly spoke from directly in front of her.

"Princess Kiana." Head bowed and heart in his throat, he knelt before her, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence.

The cool voice that greeted him was unlike any he'd heard her use before. "Yes? Why have you come into my kingdom, and how did you get here without my knowledge?" She was slightly irritated at a human's intrusion, and irritated with her father for bringing him into the Underground cloaked from her senses. She hadn't yet figured out why his voice sounded familiar.

As his head came up, and he looked her in the eyes, she gasped and stood. Looking out over the crowd of goblins, she spoke; augmenting her normal voice with a bit of magic to make sure all heard what she had to say. "Today's audience is over. I will see the rest of you at a special audience tomorrow morning."

She turned away from the man and motioned that he follow her into the private chambers she shared with her father. She walked away without once checking to see if he followed or not.

"Toby." Her voice held no emotion.

"Kiana." He looked at the floor, apparently embarrassed by her less than warm reception. "Your father brought me. I didn't know you wouldn't realize I was here."

Every inch the queen she had been brought up to be, she frowned at him. "You should not be here. The fact that you enlisted my father in this scheme puts you in a position you do not want to be in." She smiled, a ruthless, angry look that chilled him down to the bone. "It would be within my rights to condemn you to death for coming into this kingdom without the permission of it's ruler." She considered for a moment. "Though I think it would be infinitely more fitting to condemn you to a long, long life as a guest of the Labyrinth. It changes people, you know." Studying her fingernails, she was the picture of coolness. "If I were you, I would make your next few words very convincing. I will not have my kingdom overrun by mortals." With a flair, she sat in the chair which was almost a perfect replica of her throne, if smaller and more comfortable. She left Toby standing.

"I…I uh…" He couldn't seem to catch his breath, and he didn't really know what to say. He only knew he had to tell her how he felt about her. "Kiana. I was an idiot. I couldn't accept something that seemed so…unnatural. I never really realized that you are not entirely human, and that you don't think like me. For five years I've been trying to forget you, to stop being in love with you." He rubbed his hand over his eyes. "It didn't work. I'm tired of pretending you don't exist. I came here to tell you that. And to ask you to forgive me." At her angry look, he hastened to add, "I'm not asking you to take me back, just to try to forgive me. I'll go back home if you'll allow it."

Kiana rose, face a mask of unreadable emotion. "You…you." She walked over to him and looked up into his eyes. "You nearly killed me, you know that?"

The defeated sound in her voice almost broke his heart. He hesitantly reached out to brush his fingertips across her cheek. "I am so sorry, Kiana."

"Well you should be!" Her voice softened just a little. "I came to understand why you couldn't accept what I was offering you. Just as you forgot that I'm not wholly human, I forgot that you _are_. It was just as much my fault as it was yours." Her brow furrowed, and she looked at him more closely. "What in all the gods' names made you wait so damned long?"

He smiled a sad, tender smile. "I thought you would have found someone better suited to you and your life. I didn't know you'd be just as stubborn as your father." Seemingly out of nowhere, a smile lit up his face. "I don't really remember him, but from what I can tell, he suits Sarah very well. I'm glad she did what she did…I'm glad she found the kind of love she deserved." He wrapped too long absent arms around her. "Not in the least because it created you…the only person I will ever love. The one who seems like she was made for me."

Pulling away, she peered at him, looking into his eyes for a confirmation. "You mean that? You accept me, and all that it entails?"

"After all these years, I had damned well better hadn't I? You're liable to make good on your threat of banishing me to the Labyrinth if I don't."

Laughing, she nodded. "Hell yes, I would!"

"Well then, love…where do I go to get this thing done? I've spent too long away from you already, and I won't tolerate another minute."

Kiana smiled at him and held out her hand, crystal balanced elegantly on the tips of her fingers.

"What is it?"

Raising an eyebrow, she replied, "It's a crystal, nothing more." Stuff that seemed like glitter came falling down around them as the crystal broke against the ceiling where she'd tossed it. When the sparkles cleared, they were standing in front of Jareth. This time, thankfully, he was fully clothed.

Smiling, he took Toby's hand and led him over to a chair in the corner. "This will not hurt. And Toby?" He looked over to see Sarah and Kiana waiting breathlessly together. "Welcome to the family…again."

_**Author's Note:**_

_I'm truly sorry it took so long to finish this story. A lot happened through the course of it. For those of you who will be disappointed at the fact that Kiana and Toby didn't fight at the end, here is my reasoning:_

_When you love someone that deeply, and you've waited that long for them to stop being stupid…you don't want to fight. You want to give in and fall into their arms. So that is what she did._

_Thanks to those of you who regularly review…you know how much it means._

_I hope you all enjoyed the story, and are encouraged to write your own if you don't already._

_---Fester's Love_


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